Comics Review: Avengers vs X-men Round 5

On the blue side of the Moon and on the Skrull base the Avengers and X-men gather in order to contain Hope Summers, The Phoenix Force’s chosen vessel. The Phoenix has arrived to Earth and lies before them all. Hope Summers feels the Phoenix possessing her.

For some reason the Avengers and X-men begin to fight one another as Hope kneels on the ground in agony. I’m not sure if this is very productive, they should be focused on protecting her from The Phoenix. Meanwhile Hope is willing to sacrifice her life by asking Wolverine to kill her, he’s happy to oblige. Cyclops will not allow it and hits Wolverine with a laser beam. With each passing day Cyclops is separating himself from other people; Cyclops is all about the mutant cause now.

On Earth Tony Starks prepares to launch his new Iron Man suit designed to be a Phoenix Killer. Tony places himself in the giant suit and heads straight towards the fight. Iron Man’s attack on the Phoenix releases a tremendous energy burst from The Phoenix that seems to spread around the Moon.

I find it quite interesting that even though it seems that the superheroes were hit with this energy of fire that not one of them was killed. Blood drips from their mouths, and they have some burns and bruises on their bodies but otherwise they are all alright. I guess when it is a superheroes’ time to die it will have to take a lot more than a fire energy to kill them.

The attack on The Phoenix has now focused its attention away from Hope Summers; the energy has now split, and has entered into five of the X-men- Cyclops, Colossus, Sub-Mariner, Magik, and Emma Frost. The imagery of the emergence of the Phoenix Five is spectacular; they are revealed with new costumes embroidered with gold trim and are surrounded by brilliant colors of fire. The illustration of this scene is superbly done; it would make for a good poster on somebodies wall.

The Five are now vessels for The Phoenix; they are now its servants and its voice. They tell the others to prepare for a healing of the Earth. What does the Phoenix have in mind for the Earth; we shall see it in next issues.

This issue of the Avengers vs. the X-men is a very interesting episode in this saga. It has brilliant visuals and action scenes. There is a full page showing just how big and impressive the new Iron Man Phoenix Killer is. It is an intense issue with a lot going on in it. Having the five mutants emerge possessed with the Phoenix was a surprise.

Maybe I’m over thinking this but I wonder why The Phoenix would destroy some worlds, and then turn around to possess other beings on other worlds. The only answer I can think of is that The Phoenix desires to possess beings with unique powers and special abilities. I suppose that is why it was attracted to Jean Grey- for her strong mutant abilities.

The Phoenix has only bypassed Hope Summers for the moment. Hope is still an important part to this story, and essential to The Phoenix’s primary purpose for coming to Earth. Cyclops still believes that the Phoenix has further plans for Hope that is why the Phoenix Five takes Hope on their journey back to Earth in order to follow those plans it has for the human and mutant races.